


Winters’ Eve

by LittleRose13



Series: Shipmas 2018 [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Eve, F/M, Hospital, Pregnancy, Premature Birth, Shipmas 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 15:18:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRose13/pseuds/LittleRose13
Summary: “What are we going to get you for your first Christmas, hmm?” Lee leaned over to kiss the baby’s nose.“How about a name,” Ally grinned. “I had a few more ideas.”It’s Christmas Eve on the maternity ward of St Mungo’s and Lee and Ally have a big decision to make.





	Winters’ Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Christmas in St Mungo’s doesn’t have to be all bad

There was a quiet stillness about the usually bustling ward, the lights turned down dimmer to show off the fairies adorning every corner. The sun had long ago set and a flurry of snowflakes drifted past the window, glowing in the moonlight. Inside, in the bed which had practically become home for Lee and his family, his wife stirred. Her deep brown eyes searched for him and she blinked twice, reaching her hand out to beckon him to her side. 

Without a word, Lee took her hand and helped her to sit up in the bed. He knew better than to draw any kind of attention to her fragility; it was killing her to be so dependent. 

One of the first things Lee had ever noticed about Ally Winters was her unwavering strength. She was brave, but also kind, she was bold, but with a gentle softness not everyone could achieve. The first time he’d set eyes on the Slytherin, properly spoken to her, over a cauldron in the dungeons in NEWT Potions, he’d thought she was something special.

It hadn’t exactly been love at first sight, in fact they’d bickered like nobody’s business for the duration of the project, but when the Yule Ball came around, Lee knew who he wanted to ask.

“What time is it?” Ally said quietly, as he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. 

“It’s time,” Lee reassured her. “They were waiting for you to wake up.” 

She wriggled over a bit in the bed and patted the space beside her. “Assume the position.”

Lee laughed and kicked his shoes off to join her. “We’re getting good at this.” He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled into him.

Of course, Ally had said no when Lee asked her to the Ball. She’d long ago been snapped up by a fellow Slytherin who was on the Quidditch team with her and had agreed to go to the Ball with him. Lee had laughed the whole thing off and told himself there were plenty of other girls he could ask, he really didn’t mind that much. 

“Happy Christmas Eve,” Ally whispered, contentedly wiggling her toes under the hospital blanket. She pressed their lips together before resting her head on Lee’s shoulder. 

The Slytherin taking Ally to the Yule Ball found out Lee had asked her and cornered him in the Charms corridor, demanding to know what Lee had been playing at, everyone knew he and Ally were a thing, that she was  _ his.  _ This was news to Lee, but the way the boy spoke about Ally made his skin crawl. Like she was property to be owned, like she was an object to pass around. 

For once, the whispering gossipers of Hogwarts did Lee a favour. It wasn’t long before the Slytherin boy’s words made their way back to Ally, and she was furious he’d spoken about her like that. It was safe to say the two were not attending the Yule Ball together anymore. 

“Christmas Eve already,” Lee echoed, wrapping his arm around Ally’s shoulders. “You feeling okay today?”

Ally shrugged. “Bit drained. Still, better than having to cook a Christmas dinner.” 

Nothing worth having comes easy, Lee’s mother had always said that, which must have been why Ally vehemently refused to take a partner to the Ball after that, encouraging her friends to do the same and all go as a group, calling the whole thing misogynistic anyway. Had Lee hoped she would maybe go with him? Yes. Was he going to ever tell her that? No. 

“Weird to think we wouldn’t have met her until the new year,” Lee mused, glancing over to the other side of the room. 

“I can’t imagine it any other way now,” Ally sighed, following his gaze. 

Ally’s boycott of Yule Ball partners lasted most of the night, until Lee - prompted heavily by his own date, Katie Bell - had plucked up the courage to ask her to dance. Not as partners of course, if Ally had wanted a partner she would have taken one, but just as two people who enjoyed dancing. If dancing had lead to a steamy snogging session in a secluded rose bush, well, that was merely a coincidence. 

“It must be time now.” Lee checked his watch at the same time as the door pushed open and a Midwitch entered. 

“Ready?” she smiled and crossed over to the magical incubator, waving her wand and muttering.

Their friends had expected them to immediately start a relationship after the Ball, but Lee and Ally found they didn’t need to. They spent time together, they became friends mostly, they enjoyed soaking up everything about each other. Leaving Hogwarts didn’t change anything, and when Ally pursued a career in singing, Lee played her songs as often as he could on his radio show. They were free in the world, but always found a way back to each other. 

It was the same both during and after the war. Figureheads of the revolution, they fought alongside the Order in an unofficial capacity and when it was all over, they found themselves in each other’s arms with little idea how they’d got there. Within a year, they were married. 

The Midwitch continued opening the incubator with her wand.

“Can Lee do it?” Ally suddenly spoke up, surprising them both. She fixed him with a hard look. “Can Lee take her out today?”

The Midwitch smiled and put her wand away, gesturing for Lee to come over to the magical incubator. He looked from the Midwitch to his own hands then back to Ally, still sitting up in the hospital bed, before finally allowing his gaze to settle on his daughter. She clenched her tiny fist and squirmed, almost like she was telling him she was ready to come out. 

Lee felt his heart triple in size as he gently reached out to pick up the tiny baby, cradling her close into his chest before removing the little white hat on her head. 

“Hi, Baby Girl,” he whispered down at her. She screwed up her face and yawned adorably. “How long today?”

The Midwitch consulted a chart attached to the side of the baby’s incubator. “Thirty minutes, she’s getting stronger.” 

Lee nodded and crossed back over to Ally, who was smiling at the two of them. He placed the baby into Ally’s arms and curled up beside her again, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and resting his head atop hers, gazing down at their daughter. 

“Call me if you need anything.” The Midwitch left them alone, shutting the door behind her. 

“Hello, Girlie,” Ally cooed quietly. “Happy Christmas Eve. This is your first Christmas, and look, you’re spending it in the hospital. You just couldn’t wait to meet us, could you.” 

Ally Winters was and had always been one of the strongest people Lee knew. She was a success seeker, she could do anything she put her mind to. It came as a harsh shock to find her body didn’t seem to be made for carrying a child, their one greatest wish. Disappointment after disappointment left them emotionally battered and almost ready to give up. 

Until everything started to go right. Whether it was the experimental Potions the Healers had suggested or sheer determination on Ally’s part, she fell pregnant and remained pregnant. It was finally happening, they were having a daughter and she was growing every day. 

Baby Girl Jordan was due to arrive in January, the best way to start the new year, they’d said. When, in the first week of December, Lee was rush Flooing Ally to St Mungo’s with what terrifyingly seemed to be contractions, they’d thought it was all over. This was all wrong, she wasn’t supposed to be coming yet. 

“Have you been soaking up all of Mummy’s magic in there, little one?” Lee whispered to their daughter. 

“It certainly feels like it,” Ally replied in a weary voice.

Their daughter had defied the odds and made it into the world thriving, if five weeks early. Magical babies didn’t tend to arrive prematurely, but when they did, St Mungo’s had a tried and tested system to keep them safe. Magic could keep even the tiniest of babies warm and fed while they gained strength, the problem came when a baby was born before their magic had fully developed. The risk of an accidental magical explosion was the biggest threat to the baby’s survival. 

St Mungo’s spent years of research developing a magical incubator, designed to simulate a womb and allow the baby to develop their magic until it was safe for them to be stimulated by the outside world. The incubators were powered by the mother’s magic, meaning Ally had been in St Mungo’s since the day their daughter was born, providing magic to the incubator. They’d essentially moved in, Lee leaving in the morning to work at his radio station and returning every evening. Weekends were split between commentating Quidditch games and doing laundry so he could repack both their bags for another week at St Mungo’s. 

Their daughter was growing in strength and her magic was getting more stable every day. In fact, the Healers were hopeful she might make it home before the new year. 

“What are we going to get you for your first Christmas, hmm?” Lee leaned over to kiss the baby’s nose. 

“How about a name,” Ally grinned. “I had a few more ideas.” 

It had been almost three weeks, but they just couldn’t settle on something which felt right to them both. They’d been through both of their families for name inspiration and come to the conclusion that they didn’t want to name her after anybody. They’d flicked through baby name books as well as history books, looking for ideas. 

Lee had had one thought he was rather proud of and he was biding his time before bringing it up, not wanting to spoil it. 

“I think Crescent-Moon is unique but cool. We could call her Cressie for short. Cressie Jordan.” Ally smiled to herself.

Lee snorted, thrown off track. “Did you read that in The Quibbler?” 

“I knew you wouldn’t like it.” Ally shifted the baby in her arms and whispered to her loud enough for Lee to hear. “You’d like to be called Cressie, wouldn’t you, darling?”

“What about Nargle-Wrackspurt? Or Crumple-Horned-Snorcack-Rose?” Lee said in a serious tone. “We could call you Crumpy for short,” he cooed to the baby. 

“Oh, stop teasing, or I’ll start calling  _ you  _ Crumpy.” Ally sighed and passed the baby to Lee. He leaned her against his chest and stroked the tiny amount of dark fuzz on the top of her head. 

“Lola,” Lee said experimentally. “Lola Jordan.” 

“Delilah,” Ally replied immediately. 

“What’s wrong with  _ Lola?” _

“What’s wrong with Delilah?” Ally countered.

“She just doesn’t  _ feel  _ like a Delilah, it’s too long for such a tiny thing.” He looked from the baby to Ally. “Really consider Lola.” 

Ally thought for a second. “Lyla.” 

“Why don’t you like Lola?”

“Lyra,” Ally said, not answering his question. “It’s a constellation, the harp.” 

“Am I to assume Lola is off the table?” 

Ally mulled this over. “Lula? Could be short for Tallulah, or just on its own.” 

Lee gave her a look.

“Fine,” Ally sighed. “When I was little, there was this girl, Lola Coles, and she would  _ always  _ get to sing a solo in church every Christmas and they never picked me. Always Lola. I’m not naming our daughter after her, especially not on Christmas Eve.” 

“We wouldn’t be naming her  _ after  _ that Lola, I didn’t even know that story.” Lee paused for a second. “We said we wouldn’t name her after anyone.”

“Not after  _ anyone?”  _ Ally had a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Why, what were you thinking?”

“Leah,” she said simply. 

“But we don’t know anyone named Leah, do we?” He thought it over for a second. “Oh, you mean me. Lee Jordan, Leah Jordan.” He shook his head. “No, she can’t have my name, no way.” 

Ally shrugged. “Suit yourself. She looks like you though.”

Lee cast a glance over their baby girl and compared her to her mother for the millionth time. He thought their daughter was beautiful, just like Ally. She was all her, barely any of Lee. 

“What if we name her after you?” he said after a pause.

“Ally?” She looked at the baby experimentally. 

“No,  _ you’re  _ Ally. Your full name.”

Ally pulled a face. “I always hated Althea.”

Lee took a deep breath. “Then how about  _ Thea _ ?” 

“Thea Jordan,” Ally said carefully. “Thea.” Her face broke into a wide smile. “I rather like that.” 

“Has it happened? Have we finally settled on a name we both like for her?” He nudged her lightly in the side. “Would you like to add a middle name? Thea-Waterfall? Thea-Rings-Around-Saturn?” 

Ally looked at him very sincerely. “I want her to have part of your name. It would mean the world to me. Thea Leah.” 

Lee postponed responding, just gazing at their daughter then he sucked in a breath.

“Lee?” She waited for him to look up. “I’m joking.” She cracked a grin.

“Thank Merlin,” Lee chuckled. “Do we have a name for her now though?” 

“What do you think, baby girl?” Ally cradled the baby close. “Would you like to be called Thea?” 

She scrunched her nose up adorably, which in Lee’s mind was an affirmative.

“Do you really like it?” Lee asked tentatively.

“She feels like a Thea.” Ally smiled. “How long have you been wanting to suggest that?” 

“Only since this morning, I’m quite proud of it.” Lee checked his watch. “We have to put her back in five minutes.” 

“I’ll miss you, Thea. But we’ll hold you again when it’s Christmas Day,” Ally spoke softly; it sounded so  _ right _ when she used the new name. “This is your first Christmas Eve, take it all in.” 

“Next year, when we’re all at home, and every year after that, you can open one present on Christmas Eve.”

Ally looked at him incredulously. “Since when?” 

“I’m starting a new Jordan family tradition,” Lee smirked, taking Thea and holding her close to him. “Thea’s up for it, aren’t you, darling.” 

Ally just watched the two of them for a few seconds, seeming to be deep in thought. 

“What are you thinking?” Lee nestled Thea between the two of them, knowing their time was almost up for the day.

“That her name should be Thea Eve,” Ally mused. “It’s Christmassy but not too much, it’s biblical, for my family, and it can commemorate today. It is Christmas Eve after all, or is that too  _ Quibbler?’ _ She smirked, looking incredibly pleased with herself. 

“Thea Eve, I like that.” Lee looked from his smiling wife to the peaceful baby in his arms. 

The Midwitch from before poked her head in the door. “Time’s almost up, folks.” 

“I don’t want to put her back,” Ally sighed sadly. “Not yet.” 

The Midwitch consulted the chart again. “You get longer tomorrow, think of it as a Christmas present from Baby Girl Jordan.

“Actually, she has a name now at long last.” 

“This is Thea Eve Jordan,” Ally said proudly, handing her over with a hint of reluctance. 

“A lovely name.” The Midwitch tucked Thea back into the incubator and left the three of them together. 

“We did it,” Lee said into the silence, wrapping his arm around Ally’s shoulders. “We named a human. How very grown up of us.” 

“Thanks for the best Christmas present ever.” Ally kissed his cheek. 

“And you haven’t even seen what I’ve got you tomorrow yet.” Lee smirked and leaned round to catch her lips in a kiss. “Happy Christmas, Ally.” 

She snuggled contentedly into his arms and they both glanced over at where baby Thea lay, already falling back to sleep peacefully. Their family was complete, a Christmas in St Mungo’s didn’t have to be  _ all bad. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading (if anyone has, this one’s kind of obscure!)   
> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers, thanks for sticking with me through Shipmas/Stressmas❤️  
> Tumblr: littlerose13writes  
> Twitter: littlerose13_


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